The Moon + Four Gas Giants = One Epic Imaging Night!
With a new Gemini electronic focuser on his FirstLight Maksutov-Cassegrain 152 mm telescope, on the night of Oct. 3, Steve Bellavia set up to do a quick test on the moon. He was tired, so that’s al...
Seeing is Believing: iEXOS-100 Delivers Precision Tracking for Astrophotographer
How well does the Explore Scientific GoTo Tracker Mount track? That’s a question we often get. If you ask Chris Hanson of St. Louis, Missouri, USA, he’ll answer with this photo. This is ...
Astrophotographer captures rare sight: Titan's shadow transiting Saturn
The cloudy skies that often plague amateur astronomers smiled on astrophotographer Steve Bellavia on the morning of July 18, 2025. They parted just in time, giving him a chance to image a fairly ra...
The March 13-14, 2025 Lunar Eclipse: Science, History, and Atmospheric Insights
(Updated March 6th, 2025) We encourage you to join the brotherhood and sisterhood of lunar eclipse gazers this month as the night sky is set to dazzle us with the first total lunar eclipse sin...
Join us for the 166th Global Star Party livestream & celebrate astronomy's unique history!
“Certainly, the history of astronomy shows that every time we thought we were special, we were wrong.” -Seth Shostak Dear Fellow Stargazers, We are thrilled to invite you to the 166th Global St...
Comets: Frozen Messengers of the Cosmos
For many amateur astronomers, few sights in the night sky rival the thrill of spotting a comet. These mysterious visitors from the outer reaches of the Solar System often appear unexpectedly, their...
Gear up for the Great Backyard Bird Count!
Spend Valentine’s weekend showing some love to our feathered friends by taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count! Over a period of four days beginning Feb. 14, hundreds of thousands of birdwat...
Celebrate spooky season with a tour of the night sky's eeriest treats!
Halloween is just around the corner, which means it's the perfect season to check out some of our night sky’s eeriest treats. The following is a list of some of the most popular spooky sights that ...
Explore Alliance Live Broadcast: Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
UPDATE October 12th! We were clouded out for our first attempt to broadcast the comet live from above Cebu City with Christopher Go. But we will try again tomorrow October 13th at the same time. Ch...
Chock-full of astronomical treasures for observers of all levels, the Cygnus Constellation is a great cosmic spot to visit at this time of year. The elegant “Swan" occupies an 804-square-degree are...
Explore Astro Clinic Series Set to Kick Off at Explore Scientific – Learn to Use Your Telescope!
We are thrilled to announce the first-ever EXPLORE ASTRO CLINIC, which will take place on October 11th, 2024, at the Explore Scientific Home Office and Showroom located at 1010 S. 48th St. Springd...
Highlighting Explore Alliance Ambassador Caitlin Ahrens: Pioneering Space Sustainability
Explore Scientific is proud to celebrate the ongoing accomplishments of its Explore Alliance Ambassadors, who are making significant strides in their respective fields. From time to time, we will ...
One man's journey into astrophotography!
When Rob Gross stands at the front of an Introduction to Physics class, nobody in the sea of faces asks questions. That is, until he starts showing the photos he has taken with a 60mm telescope and...
Explore Scientific and the Explore Alliance at ALCon 2024: Stars and All That Jazz!
We are thrilled to announce that Explore Scientific and the Explore Alliance is at the 2024 Astronomical League Convention (ALCon 2024), celebrating the Astronomical Society of Kansas City's (ASKC...
An Impact-FULL Anniversary: 30 Years Ago, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Made History!
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the dramatic collision between pieces of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter. The comet was discovered on March 24, 1993, b...
We're thrilled to bring you an update from the world of amateur astronomical research. Several years ago, the staff at Mt. Wilson Observatory mounted an Explore Scientific ED127 Air-Spaced Triplet...
Is Mars Sample Return in Jeopardy? Watch the 94th 'How Do You KNOW?'
Dr. Daniel (Doc) Barth conducts the 94th How Do You KNOW? program today, June 3rd at 4:00 p.m. Central with the topic of the problems of the Mars Sample Return with costs soaring in the billions a...
Welcome to the Explore Alliance blog!
Each week the Explore Alliance blog will feature astronomy news, tips and techniques for observers, and product news. For new observers, any bold face terms are defined at the end of the blog. Wha...